Regardless of skin type, we all need protection from harmful rays that can damage or cause us. forms of cancer. Sunscreen is made of carbon-containing molecules to absorb light or reflect it away from the skin, but a problem is when these same ingredients have been reported to be harmful to the environment, especially coral reefs. As a result, some manufacturers have engaged in marketing “choose safe” sunscreens, but probably not worth worrying about.
While there are some precautions to consider in a sunscreen, damage to coral reefs should not be on the list. This is what we know about the environmental effects of sunscreen and what the “safe” sunscreen should be.
Do not change the sunscreen to save the coral reef
The sunscreen protects our skin from two types of harmful sun rays: UVB and UVA rays. UVB rays are the ones that cause redness and burning of the skin, while UVA rays cause skin cancers like melanoma. There are also two forms of sun protection: physical and chemical. Skin cancer Foundation gives a clear definition of the two.
Physical (mineral) sunscreen ingredients (including the minerals titanium dioxide and zinc oxide) block and disperse the rays before they penetrate the skin.
Chemistry sunscreen ingredients (such as avobenzone and octisalate) absorb UV rays before they can damage the skin.
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In a 2016 study, the chemical form of sunscreen was found to be harmful to coral reefs and adds to the issue of “coral bleaching, ”But a most recent study no “quantifiable levels” of the harmful chemical were found in surface seawater or the coral itself. Content creator in science and doctorate in chemistry Dra. Michelle Wong is an expert on the subject and alleviates any concerns about the level of destruction the sunscreen is causing to coral reefs.
“It’s always possible that sunscreen has an effect on coral reefs, but so far evidence indicates that sunscreen doesn’t have a big impact,” Wong explains. “The ocean is massive, so any sunscreen that comes in dilutes it very quickly.”
The real problem lies in the mass production of plastics, on agricultural production and the pollutants that contribute to climate change. Wong points out that most companies that include natural ingredients “produce a lot of energy.” When you think you are solving a problem, create another one.
Why you should use physical sunscreen
Sunscreen does not travel through the water in sufficient amounts to contribute to the bleaching or damage of coral reefs. If you find yourself swimming to the top of the coral reef on your next dive trip, Dr. Wong recommends that “it is best to avoid ingredients that have had a greater impact on laboratory studies, namely oxybenzone and octinoxate.”
If you want to protect yourself and do a small part for the environment, choose a physical sunscreen. Physical sunscreens use the chemicals titanium dioxide or zinc oxide to create a barrier between the skin and UVA or UVB rays; they are not exactly “natural,” but are not known to cause bleaching of coral reefs.
“Many of the sunscreens marketed as‘ reef safe ’have poor textures and cause a white melt on the skin, which means people are less likely to use them and end up expiring on the shelf, which is not “It’s good for the environment,” says Dr. Wong. That doesn’t mean throwing away all sunscreen and going out and buying new tubes, of course, but the next time you run out of sunscreen, consider moving away from oxybenzone and octinoxate.